The Cult Of Seven Devils

Chapter 16: She's growing closer.

It was her.

Jaime was the Siren Mother all along. The legend, a nightmare, a story whispered among survivors of the cursed woods, Jaime, or whatever remained of her, had transformed into this monstrous entity. Her voice began to sound a low, rumbling hum through the twisted, toothed sirens atop her head. The sound vibrated through the forest, shaking the ground beneath them and causing the trees to sway as if they were afraid.

Itsuki froze for a moment, paralyzed by the sight. He couldn't believe that this whole time, Jaime was behind the monstrous entity that had been traumatizing this entire trip. The Siren Mother's head tilted, and one of the sirens opened its jagged mouth, releasing a bloodcurdling scream that sent waves of nausea and terror through the group. "Run faster!" Hunter shouted, snapping Itsuki out of his trance. The group pushed through the dense forest, branches clawing at their clothes and faces. The trees seemed to close around them as the Siren Mother's grotesque form began moving. Her steps were slow but deliberate, the ground quaking with every movement. Her elongated arms, dripping with rotten flesh, reached out, tearing through the forest in her pursuit. Her movements grew faster with every step.

"Is she still following us?" Dahlia panted, her voice trembling.

"Does it matter? Just keep going!" Quinn barked, her face set with grim determination. But even as they ran, an overwhelming sense of hopelessness loomed over them. No matter how far they ran, the ever-growing hum and the sound of splintering wood behind them made it clear that Jaime wasn't far behind.

Hunter suddenly stopped, nearly causing Dahlia to crash into him. "Wait! Listen!" he hissed.

"What are we stopping for?!" Itsuki shouted before Hunter quickly hushed him.

Everyone halted, their ragged breaths filling the silence. For a moment, the forest seemed eerily still. The hum had stopped, and the trees' crashing stopped. It was as if the Siren Mother had vanished completely. "Where is she?" Quinn whispered. A cold breeze swept through the forest, creating an unnatural silence. Itsuki turned his head slowly, his heart pounding. "She's toying with us," he said, his voice filled with dread. "She knows we're scared. She's letting us think we have a chance."

Dahlia clutched her chest, fighting the rising panic. "We need a plan. Running won't work forever."

Hunter nodded, his mind racing. "We need to find higher ground. Somewhere, she can't reach us. If we keep running blindly, she'll start picking us off one by one."

"Or worse," Itsuki muttered under his breath, his eyes darting nervously to the shadows around them.

As they debated, a faint, melodic whistle began to echo through the trees. It was soft at first, almost gentle, but it grew louder and distorted with each passing second. The whistle was hypnotic, pulling at the edges of their twisted sanity. It turned into a soft, demonic song with lyrics of secret desires and messages of things you wanted to hear. "Wait, I know this..." Hunter whispered to himself. "Don't listen to it!" he shouted, covering his ears. "It's her! She's trying to lure us! She did the same thing to me back at the cabin!" But it was too late. Quinn's eyes glazed over as she dropped to her knees, her hands limp at her sides. "It's...beautiful," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I hear... my mother's song...calling to me."

"Quinn!" Dahlia screamed, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her violently. "Snap out of it!"

Before anyone could react, a massive, decayed arm burst through the trees, its grotesque fingers swiftly reaching for Quinn.

Hunter lunged forward, grabbing her just in time and pulling her out of the way as the Siren Mother's arm slammed into the ground, leaving a deep crater. "Go! Now!" he yelled, dragging Quinn back to her feet. The group sprinted again, but the realization hit them all at once: there was no escaping her, not in the conventional sense.